Light emitting diodes, LEDs, are employed in a wide range of lighting applications. As LEDs have the advantage of providing a bright light, being reasonably inexpensive and drawing very little power, it is becoming increasingly attractive to use LEDs as an alternative to traditional incandescent lighting. Furthermore, LEDs have a long operational lifetime. As an example, LED lamps may last 100 000 hours which is up to 20 times the operational life of an incandescent lamp.
However, even though LEDs have a long operational life, individual devices may fail and require early replacement or LED lamps may be replaced for reasons such as upgrading or alternating between different LED lamps.
Therefore, serviceable and integrated LED modules with corresponding sockets for general lighting applications are introduced to the market, thereby enabling easy upgrades and replacability of LED modules. Additionally, a modular system for LED devices provides the possibility to use LED modules from different suppliers.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,951 discloses a lighting fixture including a housing that is configured to be recessed into or otherwise disposed behind an architectural surface such as a ceiling, a wall, or a soffit, in new or existing construction scenarios. The fixture housing includes a socket configured to facilitate one or more of a mechanical, electrical and thermal coupling of a light-generating module to the fixture housing. The ability to easily engage and disengage a LED-based light-generating module with the socket, without removing the fixture housing itself, allows for straightforward replacement of the LED module upon failure, or exchange with another module having different light-generating characteristics. As an example, the LED modules may be replaced and upgraded at the end of their operational life, or earlier, if e.g. a different color temperature is desired, without having to remove the reflector or open the ceiling.
Alternative designs of a LED system comprising a socket and a LED module may be of interest such that a more compact LED system is provided. In a more compact LED system, or in a system where LED devices are densely packed, higher demands may be put on the heat-dissipation properties of the system as heat generated from the LEDs must be efficiently dissipated in order to maintain the required performance of the LEDs. Accordingly, there may be a need for improved LED modules and corresponding sockets for providing more compact devices and/or for improving performance characteristics.